Internally cushioned box



y 1942! E, M. THOMPSON 2,282,908

INTERNAL-LY CUSHIONED BOX Filed March 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jhvenior- Edward M. Thompson "j 9 i5 Ailorn y May 12, 2-- v E. M. THOMPS-O'N 2,282,908

INTERNAL-LY CUSHIONED BOX Filed March 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 .ln veniol' v I :17;; Edward )1. Thompson k i I I 11115 Allorne 5 Patented May 12, 1942 I f 22 w 2,282,908 v INTERNALLY 'CUSHIONED BOX Edward M. Thompson, Excelsior, lV linn. 7 Application March 2 1, 1940, Serial'No. 325,189

1 Claim.

My invention provides an improved carrying case having an extremely resilient interior structure adapted to grip and hold articles that vary greatly in size such as small and large pieces of jewelry, pipes, and the like. Hitherto boxes or containers have been provided with pads or flexible linings. capable of some elasticity or flexibility, but with such intervening spaces that the pads would not'firmly hold very small as well as large articles, against movements within the box or container.

In accordance with my invention I provide a sectional box or casing that is nearly 'or quite normally filled with a very elastic material such as sponge rubber. The material I preferably use is well known to the trade under the trade name Airfoam, which material is in the nature of a high grade and very flexible sponge rubber of such elastic nature that it can be compressed from a thick body almost to a paper-like thickness and, under pressure, will have a sort of flowing action but, nevertheless, when released from pressure, will always resume its initial or original condition.

' This material, when applied to the sections of the box, may nearly or quite fill the same so that the adjacent surfaces of the two pads will be nearly or quite together when the box is closed. With such an arrangement the smallest articles will be caught and held against movement, and the extreme flexibility of the material will permit articles to be placed in the box which are of such size that they will occupy nearly the maximum holding capacity of the box proper.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a box or container opened up;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely through the closed box, an open position thereof being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing several small articles of jewelry held in the box;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 showing a large pipe held within the closed box;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4 but showing a pipe and razor head held within the box; and

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding in the line of its section to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 but illustrating a modification by the use of a pad-equipped partition the box is provided with two independent containing compartments. 7

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the box or container is shown as made up of two rectangular portions 1 and 71a connected by a hinge 8. The resilient or flexible liner or filling material 9, of the character above indicated, is.

of such thickness that it nearly fills the box sections and, in practice, leaves very little space, if any, between the adjacent faces of the two flexible pads. g

In Fig. 3 two rings l0 and H and cuff buttons 12 are shown as clamped and held by the flexible pads. In Fig. 4 a large pipe I3 is shown as held by the pads. In Fig. 5 the bowl of a large pipe l4 and a'ra'zor bladeholder or head [5 are shown as clamped by the resilient pads.

By reference'to the above views Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that under the clamping action the material of the flexible pads will yield with a sort of flowing action and is capable of a compression that is many times greater than the normal space between. the pads when the box is closed. To get this result, of course, the pads must have a normal thickness that is many times greater than the distance between the pads-.

In practice the pads will therefore be made of such thickness that they will substantially fill the sections of the box or container and, when the box is closed, will come nearly or quite to-' gether.

This invention necessitates the use of a material such ashigh grade sponge rubber or Airfoam that will yield to all of the pressure indicated but which will always'resume its normal shape. Otherwise stated, the filling or pads must not be of a plastic nature but must be a perfectly resilient material whose condition will not be permanently changed by compression or distortion.

The box sections l6 and I! are connected by a hinge l8 and a partition plate or leaf I9 is placed between the said sections l6 and I1 and mounted on the hinge l8. In this modified arrangement the numerals 20 and 2| indicate the cushioning material applied in the sections l6 and I! respectively, and the numeral 22 indicates the same kind of cushioning material applied to the opposite faces of the partition l9. In this modi fied arrangement certain articles can be placed between the cushion 20 and the adjacent cushion 22 and other articles can be placed between the cushion 2| and the adjacent or upper cushion 22. Obviously this box or container may be made in all kinds of sizes. It is a known fact ber, the opposing surfaces of said pads lying in 1 the planes of the contacting rims of said sections and being substantially smooth and unbroken and the said pads being of such thickness that when the container is closed, the flat smooth opposing surfaces of the two pads will be brought substantially together and will thereby engage very small articles, the elasticity of said pads being very great so that large articles will be embedded therein when the container is closed.

EDWARD M. THOMPSON. 

